The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday that Jim O?Brien has been named the new head coach.

The 55-year-old O?Brien becomes the Pacers? 13th head coach in franchise history.

?We?re very happy to have Jim as the new coach of the Indiana Pacers,? said President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. ?After speaking with him the last 10 days, we have a vision of where we want this team to go, from how we are going to practice, to how we are going to play and the style we?re going to play. We are on the same page. I believe it is very important to have a coach with experience and I feel Jim is the guy who will take us to the next level.?

O?Brien, who previously has been the head coach of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, said, ?I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to be the coach of the Indiana Pacers. The tradition of this franchise and the passion that this state has for the game of basketball has been well-documented. Since this job became available, it has been my dream to get in front of Larry and Donnie (Walsh) to talk about my strong interest in this job. I?ve been very fortunate to get in front of them and feel great about the outcome.

?I look forward to getting to work and being an integral part of the Pacers? future.?